


Side Effects

by myrcellas



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2019-11-01 04:50:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,134
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17860613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myrcellas/pseuds/myrcellas
Summary: [Modern AU] Theon and Sansa have been skirting around their thinly veiled feelings for as long as they can remember. She's dated her fair string of guys, all worse than the last, and Theon's known as a bit of a player. Arya eventually decides that enough is enough, and enlists the help of her brothers to get them off their asses. TW - light abuse mention





	1. Naked

_ 3:12 am  _

_ Sansa: Hey Theon, are you awake? _

 

The young Greyjoy groggily stared at his phone, squinting his eyes. Roused from sleep, the words were still blurry. He set it aside for the moment, sitting up with a soft groan and rubbing his unshaven face. Theon then stared at the wall across from his bed for a while and waited for his vision to clear, before he finally picked up the phone again.

 

_ 3:15 am _

_ Sansa: It’s really important. _

 

It wasn’t like the eldest Stark sister to bother him for no reason. Sansa rarely went out of her way to do so, actually, Theon genuinely could not remember the last time she’d texted him that wasn’t from their group chat. He swung his legs out of bed, huffing out a sigh and lifting the phone up to his ear. It only rang once, and Sansa’s wavering voice was on the other end.

 

“Hey, what’s up?” he asked, doing his best and failing to keep the tiredness from his voice. “Woah, woah, slow down. Are you crying?” he asked her, standing up and pulling his jeans on in his half-asleep state. He looked for his belt but abandoned the search just a moment later, snatching up his University of Winterfell hoodie and pulling it over his head. 

 

“Yeah, alright, just stay there.”

 

He slipped his boots on and headed out the door, making sure that he closed it softly behind him. Jon and Robb were sleeping, probably, and Theon didn’t want to stop and explain anything to them, and nor did he think he had the time. He swiped his keys from atop the shelf Gendry had built, and he was out of the apartment door a few minutes later, shuffling down the steps and walking over to his blue pick-up truck.

 

It was a ratty old thing, inherited from his father, but it got the job done. It took three tries to start up, and Theon plugged an address into Moogle Maps while waiting for it to heat up. Fortunately, tonight, it did not take long and Theon’s beat up little pick-up truck was puttering along the deserted road.

 

Following the maps app, Theon saw the house - if you could call it that - before he reached it. It was more like a fucking castle. The Lannisters were wealthy, everyone knew that, but Theon never imagined they were  _ this  _ wealthy. Built of beautiful white stone and marble, Theon imagined that there had to be at least twenty bedrooms. He was too busy marvelling at the architecture to notice Sansa running over to the truck, and he didn’t see her until she had opened the door and slid into the passenger’s seat.

 

They left as quickly as he had come, and they didn't speak. Sansa didn’t seem eager to talk, and Theon didn’t want to press her. It wasn’t until they were away from the mansion until she finally looked over at him, her green eyes large and watery. “I couldn’t ask anyone else,” she said, her voice nearly a whisper. “Arya wasn’t picking up, probably asleep, and Margaery is visiting her grandmother in Highgarden. Robb and Jon would’ve…” Sansa trailed off and bit down on her lip. It was split, Theon noticed.

 

He understood. Robb and Jon would have raised hell. Theon would have, too, but Sansa didn’t need him for that. She needed him for this, and that was okay too.

 

They drove in silence, mostly. Sansa didn’t want to go home yet, and Theon didn’t mind driving her around the city until she felt like it. They never hung out like this, not without everyone else around, and yet they both fell into this comfortable silence. It wasn’t until they could see the sun rising at the end of the road that Sansa finally spoke up, softly asking Theon if he was hungry. Perfectly Sansa, never outright asking for something, a master at insinuating.

 

“Yeah, I could eat something,” he said, flashing her a grin.

 

They parked outside of a Pancake House and walked inside. It was brightly lit, and they were the only customers. It smelled like grease. Sansa was happy, though, and so Theon didn’t mind. They sat at a booth and they quietly ate breakfast, never exchanging many conversations. In the fluorescent lighting, Theon got a good look at her, though he tried not to be obvious about it. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and aside from the cut on her lip, Theon couldn't see any more signs of Joffrey’s anger. He was sure that there were more, though.

 

When they finished, Sansa had reached for her wallet to pay, but Theon refused. She was too exhausted to put up a fight about it, and submitted to him after a bit of prodding. Sansa still didn’t want to return back to her apartment, so Theon drove her back to his. They sat in the truck a while when they parked, not saying anything, and not yet ready to get out. A few hours had passed by now, and Sansa knew that one way or another, she was going to have to see one of her siblings. It didn’t matter who it was, Arya or Robb or Jon, any one of them were going to be ready to go over to the Lannister Mansion. Probably together. With pitchforks.

 

Sansa eventually willed herself out of the truck, and Theon slowly followed behind her. The door was unlocked, and they could hear laughter and chatter from the kitchen as soon as they opened the door. Robb and Jon were awake, as expected, bantering over coffee. Arya was over, which was not surprising, given that Gendry had gotten home late last night. That had meant that they were probably out all night, and just decided to go to bed together instead of parting.

 

Theon could tell that the red-haired girl didn’t expect to get a face full of so many family members all at once. She wavered in the doorway before they had fully noticed the new arrivals, hugging her coat closer around her body. 

 

He stepped around her, tossing his keys onto the shelf and joining in on the laughter. “Talking about Arya putting Jon on his ass during fencing again?” he asked, causing another round of roaring laughter from the group. Try as he might, Theon wasn’t big enough to shield Sansa completely, and all eyes slowly turned to them.

 

Laughter cut short, there was silence, with the sizzling of bacon in the background. Eventually, it was Arya who stood first, taking Sansa gently by the arm and leading her out of the kitchen, away from the prying eyes and ears of the boys. Theon sat down at the table, knowing that there would be an immediate onslaught of ‘what happened’s and ‘what is going on’s and it was still a bit early for that.

 

Sure enough, his ass had barely touched the chair before Robb’s coffee mug was slammed down on the kitchen table. “What’s that about?” he asked gruffly. Gendry was pretending not to listen.

 

Theon only shrugged his shoulders. “Look, mate, I don’t know. It’s not my business. I picked her up that way,” he said.

 

It was Jon’s turn, then. “Why you?” was his immediate question. Theon often found it comical how protective they were of their sisters. Jon and Sansa particularly were never close as children but were close now as adults. Theon imagined it would be his head next if they didn’t stop glaring at him that way.

 

“You’ll have to ask her. I promise I don’t know nothing,” Theon said defensively, raising his hands. “I swear it on the Nine.”

 

Robb and Jon, though disgruntled, decided that they’d have to take him at his word. Theon had no idea where Arya and Sansa were off to, but the younger Stark sister was probably cleaning Sansa up. They all knew that Sansa’s boyfriend had a bad temper, but none of them really knew the extent of it besides Arya. She saw everything first hand usually, being one of Sansa’s roommates, and she never told anyone anything. One day, though, Theon knew that something was going to be too much and there was going to be a Stark invasion upon the Lannister home.

 

Slowly chatter returned to the kitchen, with Gendry handing out plates of slightly burned bacon and dry scrambled eggs. Arya slid back into the kitchen too. After a while, the lack of sleep finally caught up to Theon and he silently excused himself from the group, his feet taking him down the hallway and down to his bedroom. Pushing it open, his tired gaze landed on the form of Sansa in his bed. Arya had tucked her sister in, and he could see the rise and fall of her chest as she slept under the covers. Why Arya had picked  _ his  _ room instead of one of her  _ actual  _ brothers, he had no idea.

 

He left the door partially cracked, knowing that Sansa preferred it that way, and he decided that the floor wasn’t so bad. The carpet smelled just a bit. He found a dirty sweatshirt to use as a pillow, and he fell asleep at the foot of the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Naked by James Arthur


	2. Swan Song

Sansa slept nearly the entire day. The sun had risen and washed over her face, and now it had fallen over her legs. She’d kicked the blanket off sometime during her sleep. Unlike earlier, the apartment was quiet now, and it was the soft rustling of something outside her door that finally woke her up. Yawning softly, Sansa finally sat up and stretched her arms out before she blearily looked around the apartment bedroom. Theon’s room was much neater than she would have expected.

He had painted the walls a dark navy blue, and he had posters of different bands hanging up, as well as some ships Sansa vaguely recognized. She slid out of bed, looking down at the clothes she wore. They were slightly too small for her, exposing her midriff to the chill of the room. Arya was so much shorter than her, Sansa often thought that they hardly looked like sisters. She tugged it down and softly padded over to the door.

Theon was asleep at the foot at the bed, she saw. She stared at him for just a moment with her hand on the doorknob, watching the rise and fall of his chest. He never looked that peaceful. Theon was loud and obnoxious and always laughing about something. Smiling some to herself, she finally opened the door and tip-toed out, softly shutting it behind her. Sansa discovered what the soft rustling had been when Ghost raised his head and whined softly at her. 

Gently patting him, Sansa walked into the kitchen and looked around, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Men were so gross. They had not cleaned up from breakfast, though by now it had to be well past lunch. She looked around, and from the silence in the house and the lack of anyone in sight, Sansa had to assume that everyone had left to do their own thing. Robb probably left to see Talisa, and Jon and Gendry both probably left for work. Sansa was sure that, if Arya had not said anything, Jeyne and Margaery would be wondering where she was.

Despite the fact that she was wearing a fresh set of Arya’s clothes, Sansa felt gross. She never liked to sleep before she had taken a shower and washed her hair. After giving Ghost a treat she left the kitchen and found herself in Robb’s bedroom, finding a shirt to steal from him that would fit better than Arya’s tiny clothes. 

The shower was just what she needed. The water was hot on her skin and she simply stood in it for a few good solid minutes before finally picking up a clean washcloth to use. Looking down as the gently scrubbed soap over her arms, Sansa frowned and bit her lip, scrubbing as if it would wash the bruises away. It wouldn’t, but she did anyway. No one really knew about her relationship with Joffrey, she never talked about it. Arya sometimes listened, but she didn’t like to tell her sister all the details, because she knew that her sister had a temper and had no qualms about beating up some snotty rich kid.

She told Margaery and Jeyne most of it. They were worried about her, but they wouldn’t go rat her out to her brothers or go kill Joffrey themselves. That made them easy to talk to. 

When Sansa was done taking a shower, she stepped out and found a stack of fresh towels under the sink, wrapping herself up. Only then did she realize she had left the shirt she’d stolen in Robb’s room. Poking her head out of the bathroom first, Sansa glanced around to make sure that the apartment was still empty, and then she quickly made her way down the hallway.

She had made it past Theon’s bedroom when she heard the door open, causing her to whirl around with a squeak. He must have just woken up, or perhaps her shower had roused him from his sleep. She could see the blush creeping up into his cheeks and she felt herself hug her towel tighter around her body. Theon had always been like a brother to her, but here recently… Sansa wasn’t sure. Something felt different. Theon had gotten hot over the last year.

“Sorry! I didn’t know you were there,” he quickly said, scrambling for words. Though he couldn’t help it, his gaze lingered on her form just a little too long. Once he realized, he quickly turned around and cleared his throat. “Just, ah, tell me when it’s clear,” he told her.

Her cheeks were burning. She only nodded, despite the fact that his back was to her and he couldn't see, and she quickly ran down the hallway and ducked into Robb’s bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she fell against it and reached up to feel her cheeks. They were incredibly warm to the touch. Gods, that had to be the most embarrassing moment of her entire life. Her soul was detaching itself from her body. She was going to jump off the apartment roof and splatter on the pavement below.

When Sansa finally felt her heart rate slow down, she pushed off the door and found the shirt left on top of the dresser. She wrung out her hair and then pulled it on, looking down as it fell all the way to her knees. As expected, Robb’s clothes were too big for her, but it was better than wearing Arya’s tiny little things. 

She left his room and found Theon in the kitchen, brewing a pot of coffee. The clock read that it was a quarter past three. “I’m sorry,” she quickly said to his back, shifting on her feet. “I thought you were still asleep.”

He turned around, his gaze dropping from hers to her exposed legs and calves. Sansa saw him gulp and then quickly turn back around. “It’s fine. Should have expected you’d want to clean up,” he said gruffly. They were both quiet for a while and Sansa debated on slipping from the room, but Theon had finally spoken again. “I’ve got some of Yara’s leggings if you want to borrow them. She used our washer one day and must have left them,” he said, glancing over his shoulder.

Sansa eagerly nodded. “I would love that.”

Theon left the kitchen, awkwardly sliding past her in the doorway, and returned a few moments later. “I’m sure she won’t mind,” he said as he handed them over.

Sansa thanked him, smiling warmly, and watched as he returned to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup. She knew that he had two sisters, Yara and Asha and that he had brothers he didn’t talk to. She saw the twins often enough and was on relatively good terms with both of them, though they weren’t very close. 

She quietly left and went back to his bedroom to pull them on. Finding her phone plugged in by the bed, she quietly scrolled through her notifications for a few. A bunch of likes on Oustagram, messages from Jeyne and Margaery asking where she was, and texts from Arya letting her know that she’d be back later. A new notification caused her heart to jump up into her throat. It was as if Joffrey had read her mind or sensed that she was awake.

Another apology. Like always. Sansa’s fingers hovered over the keypad as she bit down on her lip, trying to come up with something to say. 

The door opened then, and Theon poked his head in to look at her. “Hey. Coffee’s finished if you want some.”

Glancing up, Sansa felt a genuine smile come to her lips and she nodded, leaving her phone on the bed and following him into the kitchen. Joffrey wouldn’t die if she didn’t text him back, so she didn’t.

She sat down with him at the table, he refused to let her make it herself, and he walked over with two mugs. He’d add sugar and cream precisely the way she liked it, and Sansa half-wondered how he remembered that so well. It wasn’t like they had ever been particularly close, he’d just always been around as they were growing up. As much as she knew, his parents weren’t really all that great, and her dad had taken him in as much as one could without fully adopting someone. 

“I’m sorry about last night,” she told him after they had been sitting in comfortable silence for some time. 

“S’okay. You didn’t have anyone else to call,” she replied offhandedly. Sansa didn’t know what to make of that.

She nodded slightly, looking down into her mug. For the first time since he picked her up, Sansa found herself feeling awkward. They were quiet again as they drank their coffee, though this time Sansa felt like something was lingering in the air that wasn’t before.

Yet again, as always, it was Theon who spoke first. “I don’t think you should see him anymore, Sansa,” he said. He was staring ahead at the wall, not looking at her.

She studied his face and his posture and then looked back down at her mug again. Robb had tried to force her to stop seeing Joffrey multiple times, but they didn’t get it. If Sansa left Joffrey, he’d… he’d do something. She didn’t know what he’d known, but she knew that it would be terrible. He’d stalk her at her work, or he’d keep getting different phone numbers to call her. Sansa knew, because she had already tried to break up with him.

“It’s not that simple,” she said weakly.

He turned to her, his eyes sharp and stormy. “Why not?” he asked. He knew he was asking a loaded question.

Sansa only shook her head. “It’s just… It’s just not, Theon,” she replied. She finished her coffee and then stood up. “Thank you… for everything. Margaery’s back from Highgarden and she’s worried, so… I should head home,” she said.

Theon could tell he’d upset her, but he didn’t say anything, and neither did Sansa. She got her phone from his bedroom and quickly left. 

Walking down the sidewalk, Sansa stuffed her hands in her pockets and sighed heavily. Joffrey had been blowing her phone up, angry that she had left him on read. He didn’t like it when she did that, and he didn’t like it when she turned her read receipts off. She had intended to get a Botdroid as soon as her plan was up, for that sole reason. Hearing the soft and familiar puttering of a truck approaching, Sansa glanced over as Theon pulled up beside her in his ratty old pickup.

She felt a soft smile come to her lips and he only jerked his head to the passenger seat. She hurried over and climbed inside, still smiling. They didn’t say anything, like before, and he drove her home in silence.

They pulled into the driveway of her apartment building sometime later. Theon had taken the long way to get there. Parking the truck, he turned to look at her. “I’m serious, Sansa,” he said. “I want you to break up with him.”

Something about his voice was different. He lifted his hand and Sansa flinched, causing him to frown. But he placed it on her cheek nonetheless, his thumb brushing over the cut on her bottom lip. Sansa had the desire to kiss it, suddenly. “Break up with him,” he said.

Sansa felt like she couldn’t breathe. Time had stalled. Breaking up with Joffrey seemed so… easy. Her brothers would protect her, right? Theon was leaning in closer to her, and she could feel his breath tickling her skin. He smelled like the beach. 

She was hesitant, but the moment she moved forward, he had pulled away. There was that smirk on his face, the one he always wore. “I’ll kiss you when you’re mine,” he said. She got out of the car then, her face as hot as a white redhead who’d gone swimming without sunscreen. Turning to watch him leave, Sansa lifted her hand and waved goodbye, and she was relieved to see him wave back. She watched his truck until it had disappeared into the distance, and then she hurried inside.

When she had finally gotten inside her apartment, she beelined for her bedroom and fell onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling. What was she supposed to make of that? She lifted her hand, her fingertips tracing her lips. He almost kissed her. He was going to kiss her, and she wanted him to.

Digging her phone out of her purse, Joffrey was still sending her texts, though the tone had changed drastically. Compared to his first messages, his apologies and asking how she was doing, now he was very angry. Calling her names and berating her and other nasty things. Shaking her head slightly, Sansa sat up and then quickly tapped out a message.

3:56 pm  
Sansa: I can’t see you anymore. Please don’t text me again.

Her thumb hovered over the send button and she chewed on her lip. Finally, after it felt like she’d been staring at it for hours, she sent the message and then blocked his number immediately after. Sansa spent the rest of the afternoon combing her Oustagram and Clickchat, blocking him on those too and deleting any pictures they had together.

By the end of the night, she felt good. She felt happy. She joined Jeyne, Margaery, and Arya in the kitchen and ate takeout Chinese food, and she laughed louder than she had in forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Swan Song by Dua Lipa


	3. Normalcy

“Theon’s pretty cute, isn’t he?” Arya asked her older sister as they sat down at a table.

Sansa glanced over at her carefully, green eyes slightly narrowed. The little Stark was up to something, Sansa could smell it, and she just couldn’t figure out what it was. Because Arya didn’t talk to Sansa about boys unless it was complaining about them, and it was certainly to never call Theon Greyjoy “cute.”

The dark-haired sister looked exasperated as if she could read Sansa’s mind. “What’s so bad about him, eh? He came and got you when I was zonked out!” she protested.

Sansa rolled her eyes, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Come on, Arya. Theon doesn’t see me as anything but a sister,” she lied. Her mind had gone back to when he’d last dropped her off several times over the past week, wondering what would’ve happened if he’d kissed her instead of pulling away.

But she didn’t want to think about it. Theon was a player, he had new girls over at his apartment all the time. Robb was always complaining about it. There were Kyra and Bessa and Rose, and she was sure that there were others. Truth be told, Sansa was almost… intimidated. She’d only ever been with Joffrey and they had never… gone very far. Theon was experienced, and Sansa was sure that as soon as he found out how little experience she had with that kind of thing, his interest would drop.

Sansa was brought from her thoughts when she heard Arya ordering their drinks. She glanced back down at her menu, chewing on her lip as she thought. Arya was relentless, though. “If he ever did anything to upset you, Robb and Jon would have his head on a spike faster than you can tie your shoes.” That was true, at least. It would make things terribly awkward, Sansa thought, if she was dating someone that was living with her brothers.

“I’m still fresh from my breakup with Joffrey. I don’t need to see anyone else right now,” Sansa replied, glancing up at Arya again.

The younger girl seemed unfazed by this news, however. “You didn’t like him that much anyway. None of us did,” she grumbled. Sansa couldn’t help but smile at that. Arya had been against him from the very start when Sansa had still been starry-eyed. Now that she was older, she was much better at reading people than she used to be. 

Those days made her cringe.

Her phone chimed then, and Arya had snatched it up before Sansa’s hand even moved. “Arya!” she snapped, but she was already typing out a reply to whomever it was and holding it out of Sansa’s reach. Arya was not afraid to make a scene in a restaurant, but Sansa certainly was. And so she sat back, quietly fuming, and watched as Arya did whatever she was doing.

She handed it back a few minutes later. “There. Theon wants to take you to dinner, and I said yes,” she proclaimed proudly. Sansa snatched the phone out of her sister’s hands in disbelief, her stomach sinking all the way to her feet.

“Arya! I can’t!” she whined, desperately trying to delete the message before it sent. When she saw that it had been read, she could have started crying. There was nothing quite like the panic of trying to close out of a message when it was suddenly read, and the little typing dots appeared. 

The waiter came back, but Arya shooed him away and leaned forward. “Come on, Sansa,” she said, her voice just a tad softer. “It’ll be good for you. I promise. Hey, I’ll even go shopping with you for a new outfit, I know how you hate reusing outfits for a date.”

That certainly caused Sansa to glance up. It was hard to get Arya to go shopping with her, she was the entire definition of dragging someone kicking and screaming. But if she was offering, then Sansa knew she was serious about it. “Okay, but you can’t complain. Because you offered,” the ginger-haired girl finally said, relenting to her sister’s wishes.

Arya looked as if she’d just won the lottery. Sansa didn't get it. She didn’t even like Theon that much. “Deal. We can go right after lunch!” she said cheerfully.

They ordered their meal and they quietly ate, with Sansa asking questions about Arya’s new job at the fencing place and how Gendry was doing. He was a nice boy, even if Sansa thought that he was a bit too old for her sister. But there were much worse things, and Arya wasn’t a child anymore, so Sansa couldn’t complain. Arya had decided that college wasn’t for her and had dropped out sometime last year, but she definitely wasn’t a couch potato. Sansa couldn’t complain about that, either, she was still doing things with her life.

Sansa, on the other hand... Well, she wasn’t quite sure. She was going to university, sure, but she didn’t even know what she wanted to do. She only had a part-time job at the local coffee shop, The Winter Bean. It wasn’t even enough to pay her rent, but her late mother’s family friend was paying it for her. He paid for most things, in fact. She wasn’t fond of Petyr in the slightest, and she hated whenever they had dinner together. But it was another thing Sansa couldn’t complain about because she loved having nice things and comfortable life.

Margaery’s grandmother had offered to pay for her room instead, as she was doing for Margaery so that she could be a full-time student too, but Sansa had declined. She hated taking things like that from people. She didn’t mind so much with Petyr, because she truly couldn’t stand the man, but Olenna had always been so kind to her.

Arya finished before Sansa did, always one to gulp down her meal. She hurried to finish and they left, and Arya even let her loop her arm through hers. 

“Don’t try on twenty different things, though,” Arya said, which brought a laugh from Sansa.

“Okay, okay. You should try some things on too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to wait so long before posting chapters, my apologies. I had also originally planned to write alternating POVs between Sansa and Theon, but Sansa was really speaking to me this chapter.


	4. Move

Flashing lights and music pounding so loud that you couldn’t hear anything over your own heartbeat, Theon lived for the club life. He came more often than he should and left with a girl more often than he should. 

Jon and Robb were hanging out with him at the bar, drinking and laughing and cracking jokes with each other. Theon couldn’t help be distracted, though. His gaze kept trailing back to Sansa, who was dancing with Myrcella and Margaery. Arya and Gendry were having a date night and therefore weren’t out with them, but the girls had convinced Sansa to come out tonight. He felt giddy whenever he looked at her, her red hair loose around her shoulders and glitter smeared across her cheeks She looked vibrant and happy, and Theon couldn’t remember the last time Sansa looked so happy. And they had a date tomorrow, a real actual date. 

Theon turned back to the boys, barely missing the joke about Theon’s last relationship if you could call it that. He grinned, picking up his beer and taking a swig. “Nah. I’m not into that shit anymore,” he answered

Jon and Robb spared each other knowing looks, both grinning. Theon knew that they were up to something with Arya, that sneaky little wolf. She was planning something.

His gaze returned to Sansa, watching as she laughed and twirled around with Margaery, and then Myrcella. Then the music changed the two girls stumbled back to the bar, cheeks flushed with excitement and laughing so hard they could barely stand. Sansa remained on the dance floor, however, as if not noticing anything had changed.

Theon pushed off the bar, slipping into the crowd until his hands found Sansa’s hips. She grinned at him, back against his chest as they danced. Theon could think of little else, completely overwhelmed with her hands in his hair and her grinding herself against him. He leaned down, pressing his lips to the crook of her neck and trailing kisses down her shoulder. Theon heard her sigh and felt her fingers tug at his hair. He couldn’t keep his hands off her, they squeezed her hips and then moved up her sides, over her chest, touching anywhere that she allowed him to.

Suddenly Sansa had turned around, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. Her arms fell around his neck, fingers still playing with the curls of his hair. The song transitioned again, moving into something much slower, and their bodies followed until they were simply swaying back and forth together.

“We have a date tomorrow,” Sansa whispered.

Theon smiled, leaning down so that his nose barely brushed against her own. “We do,” he whispered back.

She smiled. She was about to say something else, but they were interrupted by a laughing Margaery and a blushing Myrcella, who came between them. The little rose had swept Sansa away before Theon could say anything, leaving him stupidly grinning as he watched them. He didn’t mind. Sansa was still laughing and seemed to be having the time of life, and Theon wasn’t going to disrupt that.

He returned to the bar and received a slap on the back from Robb. “At least be a little less public about it!” he said, but Theon saw that he was grinning.

The young Greyjoy spared another look over his shoulder before he turned back to the brothers, laughing with them both and downing the rest of his beer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Move by Shamir Muzik.
> 
> This one is shorter than the rest but it also comes only two days after the last chapter. Hopefully it makes up for the long wait for Chapter 3.


	5. Ocean

Sansa’s head laid against the glass of Theon’s truck as she quietly gazed out at the ocean rolling past. It was a hot day and Theon had the air conditioning going as fast as this poor little beat-up pickup truck would allow it to. Something was softly playing on the radio, but Sansa wasn’t paying it much attention. Theon was mostly silent, occasionally humming along to whatever was playing and tapping his fingertips on the steering wheel.

He hadn’t told her where they were going until the night before, telling her that she had to be up at the crack of dawn and to wear her bathing suit. The beach was a couple of hours away from where they all lived, so they piled their things into his truck at six in the morning and off they’d gone. They had stopped at a Pancake House for breakfast and had been on the road ever since. They had finally arrived in the little seaside town not too long ago, and Sansa had been longingly staring out at the shimmery water as they drove by.

She knew that Theon was from the coastal town, but she didn’t know much about it at all. They drove past little surf shops and touristy beach shops before Theon turned down a secluded dirt road. Sansa loved this part about visiting the beach, seeing the parts that the locals frequented, and not the tourists. It wasn’t long before Theon’s old beat-up truck pulled into a driveway, and Sansa could see a quaint little beach house sitting in front of them, hidden from the main road by trees. Stepping out of the truck, she breathed in the smell of salt and couldn’t help but smile. 

Theon wouldn’t let her help him unload the truck, so she quietly watched from the porch as he made several trips back and forth, carrying all of their things inside. Their ‘date’ was more like a four-day getaway, but Sansa wasn’t complaining. She laughed when Theon finally got the last of the things, carrying it inside the beach house on his own, and dropping it onto the couch. Sansa would have expected it to be dusty and unused, but Theon explained they had a housekeeper and a gardener that kept it looking spiffy.

She hit him for using the word spiffy.

The beach house itself was marvelous, in Sansa’s good opinion. Two stories and pale blue with white shutters, a grey wrap-around porch, and a covered balcony. Sansa could see herself never wanting to leave. Ever.

“Technically, the place is my uncle’s, but I’ve been trying to buy it from him,” she could hear Theon saying as he put their bags away in one of the bedrooms.

“He doesn’t care if you use it?” Sansa inquired. She knew that Theon’s uncle wasn’t exactly the nicest man, from what Robb had told her.

Theon shook his head. “Nah. He’s too busy managing the ports.”

It was still a couple of hours until lunchtime, and Sansa was still full from breakfast. They finished settling in and then they ran down to the beach. Leaving their things out of reach of the water, they both ran into the waves and laughed when the water licked their skin. It was chilly, but in the blistering sun, it felt like heaven. Giggling, Sansa waded out to her waist and splashed water at nothing in particular. Gods, she had needed this. Tilting her face up at the sun, she closed her eyes and simply drank it in.

They spent hours out there. The beach slowly started to draw more people in and by noon Sansa was already pink and exhausted. As pale as she was, she had to apply sunscreen every thirty minutes. The sun rose higher in the sky and lunch slowly rolled past, and yet Theon and Sansa couldn’t be torn away from the beach. It wasn’t until they both were completely worn out and dying from starvation that they finally collected their things and hauled it back up to the beach house on the hill. It was now closer to dinner than it was lunch.

Sansa could feel the warmth radiating off of her skin. If she wasn’t having the time of her life, she would have cried then and there, looking at the redness in the mirror and knowing that it was going to burn terribly. Sansa liberally applied some aloe, and they both quickly changed and got back into the truck before driving back into town. Theon knew exactly where he was going, and Sansa was simply along for the ride. Had it been a long one she definitely would have fallen asleep.

They pulled into one of the smaller local businesses and got out. It was one of those restaurants that most tourists overlooked, but Sansa knew it must be good if Theon was taking her here. Inside was packed, but they found a table near the window and piled into a booth. He sat on the same side as her, an impish grin on his haughty face, and she laughed. Joffrey would’ve ordered for her, but Theon eagerly pointed out all of his favorites and told her to pick whatever she wanted. He himself planned to eat as much food as he possibly could, he told her.

Sansa had never seen so many different types of fish in her entire life. They ordered their food swiftly, and Sansa found herself curiously looking around at the customers that were packed into the tiny little restaurant. Everyone smelled like salt, almost everyone’s hair was damp. She didn’t see a single pair of pants in the vicinity, it was as if everyone had come straight from the ocean and piled into the building, still in their bathing suits or simply wearing a shirt over it. Sansa loved it, she absolutely loved it.

The atmosphere was so different than home. In the city, everyone was so busy, eager to get one job down and go to the next. The change made her feel like she had jet lag. Everyone was moving casually, taking their time to do things. Sansa was sure that she hadn’t heard so much laughter in one building since Myrcella had pulled down Joffrey’s pants in the cafeteria during Sansa’s junior year of high school.

She was also surprised to see how many people knew Theon. They kept stopping by, chatting with them animatedly before moving to the next person they saw. “How do you know so many people?” Sansa finally asked him, when it had started to die down.

“You don’t know?” Theon asked her incredulously, and then he began to laugh.

Once upon a time, she might have been embarrassed, but she began to laugh too. “I don’t! You must tell me!” she demanded between giggles.

Theon nodded, grinning cheekily at her from ear to ear. “Soon as we get back, I’ll tell you,” he said. She was going to ask why he couldn’t tell her now, but their food at arrived. They’d ordered so much that it took up all the room they had on the table.

The sun dipped lower into the sky and it began to grow dark before Sansa and Theon finally left the restaurant. Drunk off of food, they laughed and stumbled back to his truck, their hands intertwined as if the wind would carry one of them away if they didn’t hold on to one another. Sansa leaned back against the passenger door when they finally reached it, smiling up at Theon and her hand tugging him closer. The breeze whipped her red hair around her face, and Theon reached up with his free hand to tuck it behind her ear.

He leaned in, and Sansa thought that he was going to kiss her. She waited, her breath held, but he gently pulled her door opened and helped her inside, giving her the same haughty half-grin that he always did. He shut it, and she watched as he casually strolled around the front of the truck to the driver’s side. With Joffrey, Sansa would have been worried when he didn’t kiss her, afraid that she had somehow upset him. But she wasn’t worried with Theon. It was almost as if he was saving their first kiss for something really special, and Sansa was eager to see what that would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Ocean by Martin Garrix & Khalid


	6. Eastside

Theon didn’t know if there was anything more calming than watching waves crash to shore in the very early hours of the morning before anything was stirring awake before the sun had even risen over the horizon. He’d been sent to the Winterfell boarding school at a young age, but he could remember this being one of his favorite things to do as a young boy. His mother had always thought he was so odd, rising early and sitting outside on the porch with something he snagged from the kitchen.

His cup rose to his lips, the smell of coffee wafting through the air, and he took a long drink. Theon was lost in his thoughts, gazing out to sea, and he almost did not hear the door behind him slide open, and the young Stark stepped out onto the balcony; barefoot, pink from the sun, but bright and alert for it being so early. Sansa sat down in the chair beside him, a cup of coffee between both of her hands. “I thought I’d find you out here,” she said softly. There was a time in the morning before the sun came out when anything louder than a whisper wasn’t allowed.

Theon’s gaze slid over to her and he couldn’t help but smile. Her red hair was mussed from sleep, but Sansa seemed as peaceful and content as he did. The few days they’d been here had been heaven on earth, and Theon was dreading the time that he’d have to take her back to Winterfell. Alas, work awaited them both and they wouldn’t be able to put their lives on hold forever, as much as he wanted to.

They sat in comfortable silence, something familiar to them. That was one of Theon’s favorite things about spending time with Sansa. She didn’t need to fill the air with words when they were both simply content to sit in each other’s presence. “I made you some breakfast. It’s downstairs,” Sansa finally said, after some time. The sun was beginning to rise, Theon could see the warm orange glow beginning to come up over the horizon.

His coffee was almost finished, anyway. He stood and so did she, and they both headed back into the house. Sansa had not even changed out from her bathing suit from the day before but had gotten one of his silk robes to wear. His initials were embroidered on the sleeve, and he noticed how good it looked hanging off of her shoulders. Theon wanted to kiss her, then, simply pull her into his embrace and kiss her until she couldn’t breathe and they had to break away to gulp air. But he was saving it, he wanted it to be special, he wanted it to mean something. After everyone in Sansa’s life, he wanted to make sure it was clear he was after more than just a casual thing.

They walked down into the kitchen where Sansa had laid out plates of sausage and eggs for them. He poured himself another cup of coffee, and they sat down together. 

“Arya texted me. She said that Robb thinks you’ve kidnapped me and that we’re never returning,” Sansa told him, rolling her eyes.

Theon couldn’t help but crack a grin at that, stuffing a forkful of eggs into his mouth. “I’m down for that,” he said.  
He saw her glance up at him a smile, shaking her head. “It’s not as if the coffee shop will die if I don’t come back the rest of the summer,” she answers. 

Theon stared at her when he thought she wasn’t looking, trying to decide if she was serious or not. He’d drop his entire life for this girl, he realized, and he wasn’t sure that Sansa even knew it. If she said today that she wanted to move in, he’d be up for it right then, without taking any time to think about it.

They finished breakfast and went down to the beach as the sun rose overhead, their fingers linked and their hands swinging back and forth. Sansa ran ahead when they reached the sandy shore, laughing and letting the water lick her ankles. Theon left their beach things out of reach of the water, joining her a few minutes later as his arms circled her waist. They both laughed, wading out further into the water. Sansa was nervous, briefly mentioning sharks and any other terrifying thing, but Theon only laughed and reassured her, and they ventured out until the water rose to their shoulders.

Her arms went around his shoulders and Theon easily grabbed onto her, grinning from ear to ear. “You wanna stay for the rest of the summer?” he asked her suddenly.

A smile spread across Sansa’s face and she eagerly nodded, her arms tightening around his neck. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d love that. We’d have to go back, get some stuff, but… Yeah. Definitely,” she replied. 

Theon pushed her hair gently away from her neck, nodding slightly. “We can do that,” he answered, his voice suddenly gruff. Leaning down, he pressed his lips eagerly against his own, and Sansa responded just as eagerly.

They spent the rest of the day on the beach before going into town to shop. Sansa had called Arya and let her know that she’d Pear Pay her rent over to her while she was gone and that they’d stop in soon to pick up some more things.

Theon noticed how happy Sansa seemed to be as she chatted with her sister on the phone, and a warm feeling seemed to seep into his chest. He couldn't help the stupid grin on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Eastside by benny blanco, Halsey, and Khalid.


	7. Light On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the wait. One of my family members passed away.

A song was playing softly on the radio as Theon drove. The sun was setting in the distance over the water, and Sansa’s arm lazily hung out of the window, with her feet propped up on the dash of Theon’s truck. She hummed quietly along to the tune, tapping her fingertips on the side of the truck and then turning her head to peer at Theon, who flashed her a smile. One of his hands was gripping her knee, and the other was on the steering wheel.

Arya’s face, when Sansa and Theon had come to get some more of their things, had been so priceless. She’d danced around with Gendry, the both of them chatting about it around the kitchen of the girls’ flat. 

Sansa briefly smiled, reaching up to brush her fingers over her lips as the memory passed. Robb had been stony, of course, but Sansa believed he’d truly be happy for her once Theon proved he was past all the girls he’d messed around with before. Sansa didn’t trust easily, not anymore, but she trusted Theon. He said he was done with that, and she believed him.

They stopped at a local seafood restaurant before heading back down to the beach shack. Sansa sat down opposite of him. It was bustling with people, as places like this usually were around this time. Her gaze drifted around the room before coming back to meet his own. A smile came to her lips, and she briefly glanced up as the waitress came by to bring them menus. Her cheeks felt warm. Her gaze shifted to the menu in her hands, and she did her best to pretend she didn’t notice his staring.

When they finally returned to the beach shack late that night, Theon refused to let her help him unload, so she stood from the porch and watched. The rest of the summer was spread out in front of them now, days of spending time in each other’s company. Sansa was someone who liked to plan things out, she was very meticulous, and Arya always made fun of her for it. She used to tell Sansa that she might as well print out an itinerary. But Sansa found herself simply going with the waves and going day by day. It was Theon’s doing.

That night, she stepped out of her room and gently shut the door behind her, softly walking down the hallway until she reached Theon’s bedroom. The hardwood floor creaked underneath her bare feet, and she pushed his door open and stepped inside. He was sitting up in bed, his back against the headboard, and he glanced up at her when she entered. Sansa closed the door behind her, leaning back against it as she gazed at him.

The window was open and Sansa could hear the waves crashing to shore in the distance. The smell of salt was lingering in the air, and the breeze was cool on her skin. She stepped over to Theon’s bed, crawling on top of it and settling herself down beside him.

“Sansa…” he muttered quietly, turning his head to look at him. His curls were growing out again, Sansa noticed. 

Reaching up, she gently ran her fingers through them, a smile flickering across her lips. “What?” she whispered in reply.

His arm curled around her waist as he tugged her closer, and Sansa found herself on his lap, her legs on either side of his waist. He stared up at her and she stared back, her hands sliding down from his neck. Her fingertips brushed over his collarbone, her gaze following as they dipped lower, tracing invisible patterns down his chest. Her breath caught in the back of her throat, and she felt him shiver beneath her red fingernail as one trailed down his toned stomach. They stopped at his waist, and her eyes flicked up to his own.

Theon looked flustered. Sansa had never seen him look so flustered before. She wasn’t nervous, though. She knew what she wanted now, and she was so sure about it. Men had taken that away from her in the past, not allowed her to feel sure of anything. Theon never did that, and now Sansa was as sure as she had ever been.

Leaning forward, she pressed her lips against his own, and he eagerly returned it. Her arms fit snugly and tightly around her waist, pressing her against his chest. Their kiss turned deeper, more passionate until clothes were being tugged off and thrown into the dark.

After, Sansa wrapped a white sheet around her nude form, rolling onto her back and staring at the window. Her chest was still heaving, even when moments had passed by. And then they both laughed, softly and together in the darkness. She giggled like a young girl, and Theon laughed like he hadn’t in years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Light On by Maggie Rogers


	8. Rainbow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is very much finished, but I felt like it needed a conclusion that was more firm and not as open-ended as it was left. Enjoy.

In the years following, Theon could not remember a happier time. What had been a date had turned into a weekend vacation at the beach, which had then turned into the summer. And then, that had turned into the rest of their lives. They had gone back to Winterfell often, and Sansa had finished out the rest of her school online. Arya, Robb, and Jon often came to visit, with Bran and Rickon making occasional stops in. 

He woke as the sun spilled over their bed, lighting up the room. Rolling over, his hand groped the bed, searching for Sansa’s form. When she could not be found, he groggily opened his eyes and then sat up, reaching up to rub them. “Sansa?” he called into the house, to no answer. With a heavy sigh, Theon climbed out of bed and softly padded down the stairs. He couldn’t smell any coffee, which was always a sure sign that Sansa had gotten up. Aside from him walking around, the house was otherwise silent.

After careful inspection, Theon was left to deduce that Sansa wasn’t home. He left, confusion etched onto his face, and carefully closed the door behind him. He supposed that he would drive into town and ask around, see if anyone’s seen her. Everyone knew Sansa by now, she had a way of worming herself into people’s lives and making every person who came across her fall in love with her. Theon could relate, and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. Just as he was going to open the door to his beat-up pickup truck, a flash of red near the beach caught his attention, and he glanced up to see Sansa’s familiar figure standing by the shore.

Breathing out a slow sigh, Theon stuffed his hands in his jean pockets, heading down the sandy bank. “Sansa,” he said as he neared her. Her arms were crossed and she wore a long, over-sized sweater. She turned to look at him, a smile crossing her lips.

“Good morning, Theon,” she greeted, accepting a kiss to her cheek.

Theon quizzically peered at her. “What are you doing?” he questioned, brows furrowing together.

Sansa’s attention returned to the sea. “What do you think about the name Ned?”

His expression contorted even more in confusion if it were possible. “You mean, like your dad? Yeah, what about it?”

She turned to look at him, and Theon saw a shining expression, her eyes bright. “Theon,” she started, reaching for his hand. He glanced down as she lifted her sweater and slid his hand underneath, splaying his fingers across her bare stomach.

“You mean-?” he gasped, his eyes widening. Her stomach was still flat, and little Ned was probably no bigger than a small bean, but Theon liked to think he could feel him in there already.

He laughed, scooping Sansa up into his arms and spinning her around. “Ned! It’s a perfect name!” he shouted, still laughing. And she was laughing too, and her hands were on his cheeks and her face was leaning down and her lips were on his. The day melted away and they spent the next several nights entwined together in bed, laughing and discussing the future and plans and whether or not little Ned was going to have a mess of red or brown hair.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by Rainbow by Kacey Musgraves


End file.
